Zero Redemption
by King-0-Hell
Summary: Caleb Redspell, a man with a dark past and distrust of humans, is summoned as Louise's Familiar. A dark, funny adventure awaits as the popular story gets a new twist - reviews highly welcome
1. And so, it begins…

**Zero Redemption**

**And so, it begins…**

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. My servant that existed somewhere in this vast universe, my divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call, I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance and appear! Summon forth my familiar!"

What came next was to be expected from a spell incantation cast by Louise the Zero, a deafening explosion and a large cloud of dust, just as normal. The students who were watching and waiting to see just what, if anything, Louise would summon found themselves being blown off their feet and sent flying backwards by the sheer force of the blast. Even by Louise's standards, this explosion was far more powerful than normal. Louise herself was forced off her feet, and was sent flying backwards into the arms of Professor Colbert, the middle aged, balding fire mage who had been overseeing the Summoning Ceremony of his students. He had somehow managed to remain standing.

"Are you alright?" he asked Louise, staring at the dust cloud. It appeared that, once again, Louise had failed to summon a familiar. This would make it the fourth time in a row. To fail once in this particular ritual was unheard off, but then Louise did have a habit of not being able to pull off even the most basic of spells.

Louise nodded. "I think so…" she replied nervously, wiping the dust of her cloak as she recovered her balance. "I think I got something this time" she added, though wasn't entirely sure what she'd felt in the mere seconds before the explosion. She felt something come through the portal, but as to what it was, she had no idea

"You got us Zero!" came a shout from one of the students, who had been sent flying back into a nettle bush near the castle walls. He was going to have a bad case of nettle rash for a few hours after he got himself out, not that Louise cared too much

Professor Colbert and Louise both turned and saw the state of the students. Most were struggling to get back onto their feet, apart from Tabitha. The silent blue haired mage, who was rarely seen without a book, had somehow managed to stay standing, though her glasses and face were plastered in dust. She had her staff pointed at the direction of the blast, and the professor assumed she'd probably used some sort of wind spell to deflect a large part of the blasts power away from her. Tabitha was a very gifted student after all, so it didn't come as a surprise to him.

"So, it seems Louise the Zero has failed. Honestly Louise, why don't you just give up on magic?" a blonde haired student said, while waving his rose shaped wand around, before he helped another student to her feet.

Louise fumed, and was about to reply to Guiche's jab, but was interrupted by another student. "Look!" he called out, pointing at the dust cloud, which was now settling again.

Louise turned her attention back to the dust cloud, getting herself free of the Professor's grasp, and her eyes widened in shock at what she saw. There stood a young man, who looked like he was in his early twenties. His hair was short, and coloured a deep black. He wore a black cloak, which was covering a black shirt and trousers. But the thing that most struck Louise was this man's eyes, which although were a soft hazel brown that appeared very gentle, were sending off a huge feeling of hatred and disgust towards Louise and her fellow students. Louise had felt terror whenever she'd done something against her mother's wishes, but the feeling of dread she got from this man's gaze was in a whole different level.

She was snapped out of her trance by the laughing of her classmates. "Wow, so Louise summoned a Commoner… Even I didn't think she'd fail this badly!" roared one of the students.

"Hey Louise, get rid of the commoner and show us what you really summoned, no point in hiding it." Added the busty red-head Kirche, who appeared to be on the verge of tears from how hard she was laughing. In fact, minus Tabitha, who was wiping the dust off her glasses so she could see better, every student was practically doubled over with laughter.

Louise lowered her head, and tried not to cry. She wanted the ground to open up under her, and swallow her whole, she'd prayed that even she'd been able to summon something that would impress her classmates, not make her into a bigger laughing stock than she already was to them.

"Who are you?" Louise raised her head, and saw Professor Colbert standing in front of her, his staff aimed at the man who had appeared from the explosion. Everything about his usual calm and friendly demeanour had changed, he was now focused, and watching the man in front of him like a hawk would focus on a rabbit. He'd also sensed the hostility from this man, and was clearly not taking any chances.

Louise heard the figure sigh, and mutter something to himself as he shook his head. She couldn't understand what he had said under his breath. She'd never heard a language like it. The figure raised a hand, and began speaking. Again, Louise had no clue what he was saying. Just great… she'd summoned a familiar who was a human, and couldn't even speak the same language, could this get any worse for her?

The figures hand glowed red for a few seconds, then returned to normal. Louise arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Did he just perform Magic?" she thought to herself. "And without the aid of a wand at that?" She couldn't understand it. Human's couldn't cast spells without wands or staves, no matter how talented the mage. The wand served as the catalyst, the focus, for their magical energies and made it far easier to control and cast spells.

The other students had also stopped laughing, and were whispering amongst themselves. "Did that guy really just cast a spell?" One whispered. "No way, it was probably a trick of the light or something." Another replied, not wanting to believe that a commoner could ever use something as refined as Magic. That was something only a noble could use, and he refused to believe that Louise the Zero could've summoned a noble as her familiar, especially considering he didn't use a wand to cast his spell.

Professor Colbert himself was surprised, but kept up his stance. "I'll ask you again. Who are you?" He called out to the figure, as he tightened his grip on his staff. The spell that the man had cast bore no signs of being aggressive in nature, and it was too short an incantation, if that's what it was anyway, to be a delayed reaction spell. The professor's mind fumbled around with various ideas and possibilities, but he never once let his focus on the figure or his surroundings drop for even a moment. He could tell this man was extremely dangerous.

The figure grinned, and slowly walked towards the Professor and Louise. Louise felt her blood run colder and colder with every step this man took towards her. "My, my…" the figure began to speak as he carried on walking towards Louise and the Professor. "You humans really are arrogant aren't you? But then again, that does not surprise me… you're kind always are quick to judge are you not?" he stopped and folded his arms, finally averting his gaze from Louise and starred at the Professor. Louise sighed with relief as she felt the fear lift from her shoulders. Just what kind of man had she summoned?

Professor Colbert did not move an inch. "What do you mean "You humans". You appear very human like to me, are you saying you're not?" he asked, tightening his grip on his staff further still. The man chuckled. "Those details do not concern you. My name is Caleb Redspell, and that is all you need know." Caleb answered. "What I want to know, is who summoned me, and more importantly, why?"

The professor kept up his guard. "You have been summoned as the familiar of a student here at Tristan Academy." Caleb roared with laughter. His laugh was dark and full of malice. "Oh… and just who is this student who would summon one such as I to be their familiar?" he asked as he carried on laughing.

Louise rose to her feet, and nervously stepped forward. "I…I'm the one who summoned you." Caleb stopped laughing and stared at the girl. Louise once again felt cold as Caleb's gaze studied her. Caleb shook his head. "This is some sort of joke, right?" he asked the Professor. Professor Colbert kept a straight face. "No – You are to be the familiar of this girl. She summoned you, and that is how this sacred ritual has always been done." Caleb shrugged his shoulders. "And what if I refuse? Your traditions mean little to me" he asked, while studying the dirt under his finger nails, which he found to be more interesting than the people in front of him right now at least. A gasp erupted from the students who were watching on. They had never heard of a familiar disobeying an order, much less questioning one. Even Professor Colbert was a little taken aback. "Well… that's…" he began, but couldn't find the words. Louise lowered her head, and fought back the tears that she could feel appearing in her eyes.

Caleb glanced down at her and sighed. "What's your name kid?" he asked, no sense of caring in his voice at all. To Louise, it sounded more like an order that she'd get from her mother and her "Rule of Steel" policy. Louise was trembling. "I'm Louise Françoise L…Le Blanc de L…La Vallière" she replied, her nervousness clear to see.

Caleb stared at her for a few moments. Something about this girl interested him. He'd never heard of a mage summoning another humanoid being during a ceremony. Most were animals or mythical beings, in very rare circumstances. Added to that the strange feeling of power he could feel from her, that appeared to dwarf that of the man beside her, and every other student around, and she was more than interesting enough to warrant looking into further, if only for his own amusement.

"Very well, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. I will agree to be your familiar, if you agree to a few conditions." Caleb said. If she refused, then he'd be on his way. If she accepted them, then he'd follow her for a while, until either she died, or he killed her himself, whichever came first. "I want you to treat me with the same amount of respect that you yourself would want from people. I'd also like you to teach me about this world, and help me with any issues I don't understand whenever they arise. In return, I'll be both your sword and shield when you require it. All my power will be at your disposal and command. Agree to those terms, and we have a deal. If not, I'll simply be on my way"

Louise dusted herself off, and approached Caleb slowly. "Very well Caleb. I accept your terms. However, answer me one question before we continue. Did you use magic, and if so, what type of spell was it you just cast?" She asked. Caleb grinned. "Yes, translation magic" he said simply, and refused to expand on that particular subject any further. At least while this man was around anyway. Whoever this balding man was, Caleb could sense the man had combat experience. "Now can we please get on with it?" he asked as he rolled his eyes. Professor Colbert lowered his staff. The killing intent seemed to have disappeared, but he didn't trust this man. Still, it was not his place to say who or what was acceptable as a familiar for someone. He would have to speak to the headmaster about this turn of events when he got his paperwork finished later. Colbert just hoped he could provide some sort of insight about this man, or lay his fears to rest.

Louise walked right up to Caleb. He was a lot taller than she had expected, he had to be almost two feet taller than her, in fact. "Can you bend down please?" Louise asked, inside she was mentally cursing about how he was treating her, but she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that glare again. Not yet anyway, not until she knew more about him. "This familiar is going to be trouble… I just know it" she thought to herself.

Caleb went down on one knee. "You know, this could be seen as a marriage proposal by some" he quipped, making Louise blush tomato red at the idea. "S…Shut up. It's not my fault you're so tall. Now be quiet and let me focus." Louise took a deep breath to calm herself down, before she began the spell.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the five elemental powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar." She then held Caleb's head and kissed his lips. Caleb's eyes widened a little in surprise. He had expected a kiss on the cheek at most. "Are all familiar contracts signed with a kiss on the lips?" he wondered. Again, something he'd need to look into. Afterwards, Louise pulled her head back and let go of Caleb's head. "Done" she said simply, though she was still blushing madly. "You should be honoured; a noble would never normally even think about kissing a commoner". Caleb was about to speak when he felt his left hand begin to sting in pain. Looking down, he could see that some runes were slowly being engraved into his skin.

After a few moments, the pain ended, though Caleb couldn't make out what the runes said. Sadly, his translation spell only covered what he heard and spoke, not what he'd read. He'd need to learn the language of this world sooner or later, something he'd get Louise to help him with, if only so he could "fulfil his duties" as her familiar. He hated the idea of being a servant to this girl, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to picking up a few new tricks here, especially if he found no way to return to his home… not that he had anything or anyone to return to anymore.. not since that night, ten years ago.

Professor Colbert approached slowly. "May I see your runes please? I need to document them for the records. Caleb shrugged as he got back to his feet. Holding his hand out, he noticed the professor seemed a little surprised when he looked at the runes. The professor noted the runes down on a sheet of paper. "Any idea what the runes mean?" Caleb asked. "My translation spell only covers what I say and hear, not what I read." He wanted to make sure the runes wouldn't hold any consequences for him, especially if they prevented him from killing his master if and when the time came for him to go his own way once again.

The Professor hesitated a little. "I've not seen anything like these runes before… I'll have to check the academy records to work out what they mean, and their power. There should be something there to help." He replied. "Liar" Caleb thought to himself. He'd been around long enough to work out when someone was keeping information from him. He decided he'd pay this man a little visit later in order to get the information out of him.

The professor turned to the rest of the students "Anyway, that's enough for today. All students are dismissed. Spend time and bond with your familiars today, and don't forget there are no classes tomorrow." He said with a smile on his face. He turned back to Caleb and Louise. "That goes for you both as well. I imagine you both have a lot of questions for one another. Maybe I'll see you around the academy grounds Mr Redspell." To Louise, the Professor seemed to have changed his tune, and suddenly accepted her familiar. Caleb, however, saw through his feint. In short, the Professor was going to be watching him closely. "Maybe you will… and just call me Caleb." He added plainly. As the Professor and other students walked away, Louise glanced up at Caleb, who in turn glanced down at her.

"Well, my dear. Where would you like to go?" he asked, with a little bit of sarcasm in his voice. Louise clenched her fist, but let it go. She didn't know what this man was capable off, and it seemed wise not to get on his bad side if she could help it. For now at least . "We'll go to my room. I have questions for you, and I suspect you have some for me. Let's go." Caleb nodded. "Lead on… Master" he said, with a grin.


	2. Night Terrors

**Zero Redemption**

**Night Terrors…**

Caleb followed Louise through the Academy grounds and into the dormitories. As Caleb followed Louise, he could feel mana flowing through the corridors. The history of this place, as well as it being a place for young mages to learn and hone their skills, meant it practically oozed the stuff that the stone and woodwork had absorbed naturally over the years.

"How old is the Academy?" Caleb asked, looking around while trying to memorize the route to Louise's room. If he was to serve as her familiar, for now, it would pay to make a mental note of where things were. The silence between the pair needed to be broken. "According to the text books, the Academy was built almost four thousand years ago by Square Class earth mages, originally as a fort for the army. The vast majority of the stone walls were built from the surrounding area, and were fitted with high level protection spells to resist effects of the wind and rain on them. After a few hundred years, the rulers at the time decided to transform it to an academy for teaching the next generation of mages. It's the oldest, and one of the most prestigious Academy in Halkgenia." Louise replied, with more than a little pride in her voice. Caleb nodded as they began to climb some stone stairs. "That explains the high mana concentration." He thought to himself.

"What did you mean by Square Class mages?" He asked, as they neared the top of final flight of stairs." Louise paused, as she thought about the best way to explain it to him. "Well… a mage's class is determined by the number of elements they can wield. A person who can use a single element is a dot mage, two elements are a line mage, three are a triangle, and square are the rare group of mages who can use Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. Square class mages are the most powerful, with dot class mages being the weakest." She finished as they came to Louise's room. As they walked inside, Caleb looked around. It was a fairly large room, with a great view from the window looking over the Academy grounds. There was a large double bed, a wardrobe and a dresser that had ink pots, perfumes and various magic books on it. In short, it was like a bedroom that you would find anyway…

Apart from the large pile of hay by the door anyway.

Caleb raised an eyebrow as Louise sat on her bed, letting out a deep sigh as she did so. Today had been a very long day for her; she was more than ready to get herself to bed. "Dare I ask?" Caleb questioned, pointing to the hay. Louise followed his finger to where it was pointing. "Hmm? Oh, that. That was for… well… the familiar I was going to summon." Louise responded, as the lay down. Again, Caleb's eyebrow was raised slightly. "You expect me to sleep on that?" he questioned, hoping this girl was not being serious. Louise sat bolt upright again. "Listen Familiar, it's not my fault I summoned a human. I've never heard of anyone summoning a commoner, nor does anyone know just what type of familiar their actually going to summon until it appears." Louise pouted. She'd hoped for something like a dragon or a griffon, instead, she got stuck with a commoner with a serious attitude problem.

Caleb groaned. This girl was going to be nothing but trouble. "First off, My name is Caleb, and I'd appreciate it if you used it. If you refer to me as familiar or "commoner", then you'll find I can make your life very, very painful." He said, his voice calm and collected. Louise sat bolt up-right in shock. "Are you threatening me?" she asked, wondering if her ears had deceived her. Caleb shook his head. "Far from it… I'm giving you some friendly, free advice. I suggest you take it." He replied, again, his voice calm as he drew up a chair and sat down. Louise sighed. "Fine… I'll humour you for now." She said, jumping off the bed. "Well then Caleb… Undress me." She ordered.

Caleb merely blinked. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, wondering if she had really just said that to him. Louise turned around to face him; Caleb could see fury beginning to write itself on Louise's face. "I said: Undress me." She repeated, as she began to grind her teeth. This familiar was driving her mad. Caleb shook his head. "No – I won't." Louise felt her blood pressure rising further. "And why not?" she asked. "A Noble does not dress themselves if there is a servant present to do so for them." Caleb nodded. "I am familiar with how nobility works Louise." Caleb grunted, he'd had more than enough of dealing with Nobles in his time, stuck up fools the lot of them. "However, I agreed to be your sword and shield, not your personal Butler, so I suggest you get changed yourself and remember that fact, otherwise, I'm walking. In the meantime, I'm going to explore the Academy, and find somewhere to sleep. I'll wake you at dawn, when maybe your attitude will be more respectful." And with that, Caleb left the room, slamming the door behind him. Louise's jaw dropped open. She just had to summon the world's most difficult familiar didn't she?

Caleb was fuming. It had taken everything he had not to break Louise's neck in there. While he knew killing her would free him of being her familiar, it had several draw backs, the chief among them being him being in a strange world, where he didn't know what was what… on the run. He admitted he was used to the last part of that… more than he'd like to admit to anyone. As he descended the stone stairs, he emerged in the large main hall, where he spied a couple of students, a blonde male, and a young brunette. Judging by the mood in the air, it seemed he'd wandered into a date between the pair and by the looks on the young ladies face; she was completely smitten by the man she was with. Caleb remained out of sight as best he could by leaning against a wall so the pair were behind him, lest he ruin the moment between them.

"You know Guiche… I would love to make you a soufflé… if you'd like one that is…" she asked nervously.

The guy named Guiche laughed gently. "My dear Katie, I would love to try anything that is made by your caring hands…" Guiche replied, waving his rose wand around. Caleb mentally face palmed. This guy was just about as corny as they come, not matter how truthful his statement.

Katie's face lit up. "Really? I'll bake you one for tomorrow to try." Katie then lent forward nervously and kissed Guiche on the cheek. "I'll get to baking it first thing in the morning, so I'll call it a night, for now…" she said, and walked off. Guiche admired the sway of her hips for a few moments, before grinning. God he loved being adored for his looks.

As Guiche went to leave as well, he heard a whistle from behind him. Jumping up, he turned around to say Caleb, looking at the corridor to which Katie had left down. "You… You're… Louise's familiar, aren't you?" Guiche asked, as he finally recognised the man in front of him. Caleb nodded. "Caleb Redspell, I didn't want to interrupt you and your… friend, so I stayed out of the way." He said, gesturing to where he'd been hiding. Guiche looked concerned, but relieved as well. "I see… well, nice to see a commoner has the decency to know not to interrupt a date between their betters. I'm Guiche, Guiche de Gramont." Caleb mentally cursed. This guy had a serious attitude problem, and would need taken down a few pegs. He needed to get people to stop thinking of him as a commoner; otherwise he'd end up losing his temper sooner or later. He'd think of a plan tomorrow, for now, he'd keep up the commoner act

"Just doing what's right." Caleb said, before scratching the back of his neck. "I don't suppose you know where I could find that man who was over-seeing that summoning ceremony thing do you? The one with the balding head? I had a few things I'd like to ask him" Caleb asked. He had questions that the Professor was going to answer. Guiche thought for a few minutes. "You mean Professor Colbert, right?" he asked, Caleb nodded. "I think he retired for the night, you'll probably be able to find him in the library tomorrow though." Guiche replied. Caleb groaned. "I see… well, thanks anyway." Looks like he'd have to bide his time for now. Still, it gave him an excuse to keep looking around the Academy grounds at least.

Caleb turned and started to walk away. "Oh, and enjoy that soufflé." He called back, waving his hand as he exited the main building. He found himself back in the courtyard, and gazed up at the night sky. His eyes fixed on the twin moons among the many stars out there. "Well…it seems those tomes about other worlds were right…" He thought to himself. The sight of two moons in the night sky did unnerve him a little, as did the fact that all the stars didn't match any of the signs he knew of.

Caleb heard a thud, and drew his gaze towards the source. There stood a young maid, probably around sixteen or seventeen, who was carrying a heavy basket filled with clothes to be washed. She looked exhausted. "Probably been working since the crack of dawn…" Caleb mused as he watched her lift the basket again, and walk off into a nearby building. He couldn't help but notice the smile on her face, and even when she was clearly so tired, she appeared to be giving it her all. Very impressive for someone so young.

Caleb noticed a nearby tree, and jumped up onto the largest branch, and rested his back against the trunk. It wasn't overly comfortable, but it was better than sleeping on hay like some wild animal, even he had standards. He gazed up at the night sky, and couldn't help but wonder where fate would take him… would he be able to finally move on here in this new world, or would the shadows of the past, and his old life, continue to haunt him as they had done, right up until his dying breath.

As Caleb's eyes closed, he wondered what tomorrow would bring.

Elsewhere, Louise had retired for the night a while ago, and was sound asleep and dreaming, though it was far from being a pleasant dream. She found herself slowly walking through the site of a major battle. Bodies were laying everywhere, for as far as the eye could see and in some cases, piled up on top of each other. The site made her feel sick, but somehow, she kept moving through the battlefield. Pillars of black flames rose high into the sky, and she could hear the screams of those trapped by them, slowly being burnt alive. She could almost smell the burning flesh on the air.

After what felt like an eternity, she came upon several figures. The first was a barely recognisable body of a woman, who was clutching the body of a dead baby tightly against her chest. Both were covered with holes made by swords, spears and arrows. Louise then saw another figure approach slowly, dropping onto its knees, and holding the pair close to his chest, as he wailed loudly. His face and body were masked by blackness, but she could make out his hair. It was almost like pure silver, it was like it was glittering under the blood red sky, she'd never seen anything like it. The figure seemed to sense that she was there. He gently laid the woman and child back on the ground, and rose to his feet. As he turned, Louise felt her body freeze in place as her eyes met his. They were blood red, full of malice and hatred. The pupils were no longer normal, like that of a human's, instead making the shape of what looked to be a Pentagon symbol. She felt the figure wanted her dead, it wanted everything dead, and it probably had the power to do so. The figure vanished from sight, re-appearing before her as it clasped its hand around her neck, and squeezed. She could see the figures lips move beneath the blackness that covered it, though the sounds didn't reach her ears. She felt her body go limp as a loud crack erupted, before blackness to over her…

Louise woke up, and sat bolt upright, her body covered in a cold sweat, she barely managed to supress a scream. She struggled for breath, and panicked as she looked around the room, trying to find out where she was. After a few moments, she began to calm down. She could hear her heart in her head as it beat so fast in her chest. As she wiped her brow, she looked out of the window and up at the moons. "By the Founder… what was that dream?" she muttered. She didn't want to sleep again that night… she didn't want that dream again.


	3. Identity Revealed…

**Zero Redemption**

**Identity Revealed…**

Caleb woke just as the sun began to rise. He'd slept well, far better than he had in for a long time in recent years. As he sat in the tree, he grinned to himself. While he rested, he'd come up with the perfect plan to prove to Louise that not only was he not to be under-estimated, but he was going to prove to the students that he was no mere commoner. With any luck, he'd also be able to take Guiche down a few notches as well, though any other noble would suffice as well.

Caleb leapt out of the tree and back onto the ground, and found himself face to face with a very startled young maid. She hadn't seen Caleb in the tree, nor expected to see anyone beside another one of the Academy's servants up at this time. She fell back onto the floor, and started to back away from him. Caleb bowed his head, and offered her his hand. "My apologies miss, I didn't mean to startle you" he said politely. Siesta took his hand and was helped back her feet, where she promptly wiped her dress. She looked at Caleb for a few moments, before the penny dropped.

"Ahh, would you happen to be Miss Vallière's familiar?" the maid asked. Caleb was a little surprised, but not totally. "I am the man she summoned yesterday and the one who agreed to be her familiar. I take it the news spread fast Miss…" Caleb paused, not knowing her name. The maid curtseyed "Siesta, My lord. The summoning of a human familiar did cause quite a stir; it was practically the talk of the Academy last night." Caleb sighed. "Well… it'll make things easier going forward if the whole place is talking about me, I guess…" he thought to himself, though his plan now ran the risk of drawing a bit more attention than he originally intended. Still, there was nothing for him to worry about, at least for now.

Caleb looked at the maid's face closely, she reminded him of someone, but he couldn't put his finger on it. When you lived as long as he did, it was very easy to confuse people's appearances with one another, and remembering names from long ago was also just as difficult. Either way, Siesta was very cute. It was a bit of a shame that she was working as a maid; a lady with her looks would go quite far in many walks of life. Caleb could also sense mana emanating from this girl, but he put it down to being more of a case of working in a building with so much lingering power, and it remaining on her clothes and in the air. Caleb sighed. "I am no Noble, Siesta, there is no need to bow to me, please just call me Caleb." He shook his head; he was about as far from being a noble as anyone, maybe more so with the things he'd done.

Siesta nodded. "If that is what you would like Caleb. I'd like to talk to you more, but I have duties I must attend to." Caleb nodded. "I understand, perhaps we can talk later." Caleb said, Siesta nodded in agreement. "If you've got time, come by the kitchen's later; I know many others are eager to meet you." Caleb nodded. "Gladly, I'll see you later." He said, and headed back into the Academy, retracing the steps he and Louise took the night before. Knocking on the door, there was no answer. "Probably still asleep…" Caleb thought to himself, as he slowly entered the room.

Inside, Louise was sat bolt upright on her bed, her eyes heavy from lack of sleep had also seemingly lost some of their life. Her face was a deathly white, and even her pink hair seemed to have lost some of its glow. Caleb noticed her shaking a little. "Are you alright Master?" he asked, concerned that something big had happened while he was sleeping outside, or that she'd been waiting up for him the whole night to return. "You look like you've seen a ghost or ten." Louise turned her gaze towards him. "Just a bad dream…" she muttered, as she began to climb out of bed. As she tried to stand up, she found herself falling towards the floor, only to being in Caleb's arms a moment later. Caleb placed a hand on her head, and felt it burning up. "You've got one hell of a fever…" he muttered. "Bed, now" he ordered, picking Louise up bridal style.

Louise's face went crimson red. "What are you doing, stupid familiar, put me down this instant." She yelled in Caleb's ear. Caleb held her over her bed and ginned. "As you wish" he replied, dropping her onto the bed below, before moving with a speed that Louise could barely follow. Before she knew it, he'd placed the covers back over her, and was sitting on the sheets. Louise sat up in protest, but was pushed back down by a flick to the head from Caleb. "You're in no condition to move, you need to rest." Caleb said, as he began to think. "Was this an after effect of the summoning ceremony? The teacher had said there were no classes today, so could it be that summoning a being uses a lot of mana from the summoner and leaves them ill for a day or two after? Louise doesn't seem to have as much mana as she did yesterday, though illness can be the cause as well as an effect…" He really needed to speak with that Professor Colbert guy, and find out if this was the case. There was so much he didn't know about this world

Again, Louise tried to sit up, snapping Caleb out of his thoughts. "I said to lie down. You're just going to collapse again if you try and move now." Caleb said, pushing her back down. Louise pouted. "I am not a child…" she muttered, causing Caleb to supress a chuckle. He was half tempted to tell her to stop acting like one, but didn't want to get Louise to raise her temper, in her condition; it'd probably make her feel far worse. Caleb sighed. "I know you're not, but you need to rest. I'll see if I can find someone in this place to have a look at you, then I'll see about finding us something to eat, okay?" He said kindly. Louise nodded. "Right, I'll be back as soon as I can, you try and get some sleep." Caleb said as he stood up. As he approached the door, he heard Louise call. "Wait…" Caleb turned around, Louise was thankfully still in lying bed, but was looking right at him. "Why are you being so kind now, you're not like you were yesterday?" Caleb sighed at the question. "Louise, even a man like me can be kind and caring when the time is right." He replied, before walking out of the room, and gentle shutting the door behind him. Louise stared up at the ceiling as she heard his footsteps disappear down the stone steps. Maybe this familiar wasn't as bad as she'd first thought… Or maybe she just didn't know him yet…

As Caleb walked back outside, he looked down at his runes on his hand. He could feel them trying to get him to be more protective of Louise, and maybe that had had something to do with his response to her, but he did admit that even he hated seeing people ill or in pain… perhaps it was one of the few bits of his humanity that did remain…

Caleb looked around, and thanked the heavens at what he saw. He found Professor Colbert approaching the main building, a large number of papers tucked under his arm, with a woman with long flowing green hair and glasses beside him. The two were chatting quite happily, and Caleb wondered if they were a couple. They certainly looked the part at least from where he was standing. Walking over to the pair, he called out. "Professor Colbert?" The professor turned and faced him, while the green haired woman stopped as well, curious at the man before her. "You're that man from yesterday…" the professor began, and Caleb sensed him ready himself mentally, it was not clear he didn't trust him yet, nor would he for some time to come. The feeling was mutual though between them.

"Oh, so this is the rumoured human familiar I've heard about…" Miss Longueville said. "Miss Longueville, Secretary to the headmaster here at the Academy." she added with a smile. Caleb nodded. "Caleb Redspell, a pleasure." He replied, before turning his attention back to the Professor. "I hate to interrupt you both, but I need you to take a look at Louise." He said simply. The Professor eyed him curiously. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.

Caleb shook his head. "Not sure, but she's got one hell of a fever, and can hardly walk. I barely caught her a moment ago when she collapsed just getting out of bed." The professor stared at him for a few seconds. Caleb spoke up again. "I know you don't trust me, Professor, and to be perfectly frank, I don't really trust anyone here, but even I'm not low enough to ignore someone who is clearly so ill." Miss Longueville had watched the pair with interest, but decided to step in. "You go ahead and check on her, there shouldn't be any harm in doing so, I'll take these to the headmaster for you." She offered. Professor Colbert nodded. "Very well, thank you Miss Longueville." He carefully handed her the papers, then turned back to Caleb. "Lead the way Caleb."

Caleb nodded, and bowed to Miss Longueville, before escorting the Professor back to Louise's room. He gave a gentle knock before opening the door slowly. Louise struggled to sit up "You were quicker than I thought you'd be…" She said, her body swaying slightly. "I told you to lie down…" Caleb sighed as he and the Professor entered. "And anyway, I got lucky and bumped into Professor Colbert just outside and asked him to come take a look at you."

The Professor walked in and sat on the end of the bed, and watched Caleb help Louise to lie down again. He could see that Caleb had been right and she was certainly ill, though he was no healer. "How long have you felt like this Louise?" he asked, trying to work out the causes, or at least narrow down the possibilities of what it could be. "Since the early hours of the morning… I feel so tired, but I don't want to sleep…bad dream" she mumbled. Caleb looked at the Professor. "Could it be something to do with the summoning ceremony? I have heard of cases where if someone uses too much Mana at once, it can make them ill, especially if they're not used to it." The Professor thought about it and nodded. "That is certainly a possibility, though the Summoning Ceremony shouldn't put that much of a strain on someone's power…" he began, then stopped. "Though summoning a human would probably require a lot more power than any animal would, so in theory, it does make sense."

Caleb sighed. "Called it…" he thought to himself. "And the bad dream she's been talking about probably came about because of having such a high fever, right?" he asked, now that he knew where things stood. Again, the Professor nodded. "I believe so, a high enough fever has been known to make a person have bad dreams, and see things, though I'll get one of the nurses here to have a look at Miss Vallière here just to be sure. For now, you need to stay in bed, and sleep." He told Louise, before looking back at Caleb. "I'll send for one of the nurses to come and look at Miss Vallière, may I ask you to stay with her until the Nurse arrives. I'll also ask the kitchen staff to hold some food back for you both, though I recommend the nurse looks at Miss Vallière before she eats anything, just to be sure."

Caleb nodded. "I'll wait here for the nurse, don't worry." He said, looking at the Professor. "Once Louise is feeling better, I'd like to have a word with you about yesterday's events… It's not urgent, but I do have a lot of questions, as you might well imagine." The Professor nodded slowly. The papers he was going to show the Headmaster were actually about Caleb's runes… he needed the Headmaster to confirm what he'd found. If Caleb wanted to speak about yesterday, then having a few more answers would help them both out.

"Well then, I won't hang around." The Professor said, walking over to the door, which Caleb opened. "The nurse shouldn't be too long. I hope you feel better soon Miss Vallière. Louise mumbled some sort of reply, but it sounded more gibberish than anything. The professor smiled, and walked off down the Corridor. Caleb left the door ajar slightly so he could hear anyone else approaching; save them having to knock and risk waking Louise up if she had finally managed to fall asleep.

Caleb pulled up a chair, closed his eyes, he kept his senses sharpened in case Louise needed him at any point, but she seemed to be drifting off to sleep again. Mentally, he was also re-arranging his plans for dealing with the Nobles and the lack of respect he was going to have to deal with… If he had to remain by Louise's side for several days, then he might not get the impact he needed or wanted…

Caleb's thoughts were broken by the sounds of two pairs of feet, walking down the hallway. Standing up, he peered outside and saw Siesta accompanied by a Nurse who was leading a trolley filled with various potions and medicines. "Good Morning… you're the Vallière's familiar I presume?" The nurse asked, with a Holier-than-thou attitude. Caleb sighed. "Another inflated personality… Is there an Arrogant Twits Breeding Centre around here or something?" he wondered to himself. Caleb nodded. "Caleb Redspell, nice to meet you." He replied, a small hint of sarcasm making its way into his speech, but it seemed to go un-noticed. The nurse merely nodded, and looked inside. "I'll have a look at her, see what I can do. I'll need a few hours though, as I need to make sure the treatment is working, so Siesta here will escort you down to the Kitchens and get you some food".

Siesta smiled warmly. "Indeed, please follow me Caleb; I can assure you that Miss Vallière is in good hands." Caleb nodded and followed Siesta, while the Nurse pushed the trolley inside and closed the door behind her, who sat down and began talking with Louise. As Caleb was led downstairs and back out into the courtyard, he got sight of a few of the students with their familiars. There seemed to be all kinds that had been summoned, from cats and dogs to griffons, and even a couple of dragons. It seemed that just about every type of animal and mythical being that could be summoned had been.

"Here we are…" Siesta said, having led Caleb to the back entrance of the Kitchen. As they entered, Caleb saw the other servants busy at work cleaning up from breakfast, and already putting the finishing touches to the tea and cakes that were to be going out to the students in the courtyard in about ten minutes time. Everything stopped, however, when they caught sight of him. An eerie pause followed, only for the silence to be broken by a cry of "It's him!" from several of the other maids, who proceeded jump him. Caleb didn't even have time to react as the group of four maid's dog piled him to the floor. Siesta's jaw dropped, while the kitchen staff watched on laughing. "Wow… he's better looking than you described Siesta!" said one of the maids, who was holding onto Caleb tightly. "Yeah, it's not fair, why do Nobles get all the attractive guys? I'd rather have him as my familiar?" another pined as she tried to plant a kiss on him. Caleb focused for a few seconds, sending a small amount of mana around his body, before standing up with the four maids still clinging to him tightly as he straightened up. "Wow… strong too" another said in shock. He'd gotten up with the four of them still attached to him without any problems. Caleb looked over at Siesta, who had a small blush on her face, and was trying to avoid eye contact. "Alright ladies, let go of the man. He came for a meal, not to get molested. Back to work everyone." Called another man, with a large chef's hat on. An upset "aww" echoed as the maids let go of him, followed by a "Yes Head Chef" as they carried on with their preparations, though they did whisper and giggle with one another every few moments, as well as send Caleb a few lovey dovey looks every now and then.

Caleb sighed, and looked at the head Chef. "Thanks for the rescue." He joked as he was offered a seat. The head chef grinned. "So you're the Caleb Redspell who's been causing such a stir. I have to admit, I am amazed by your strength, for such a young and skinny guy." Caleb grinned. "Let's just say I'm a master of the unexpected." The head chef laughed. "Wait right here, I'll get your food from the store room." Caleb nodded and watched the head chef head to collect his meal. Siesta sat down opposite him, a slight blush still on her face. "S… sorry about my friends…" she said nervously. Caleb laughed. "Don't worry about it." He replied. Scanning the kitchen, he noticed something odd. While all of the servants did have traces of lingering mana about them, it wasn't anywhere near as strong as what was around Siesta. Indeed, it seemed to dwarf all the others combined, and actually equalled several of the students he'd seen when he was summoned. Did this girl have mana in her blood? Did that mean she had a connection to the nobility here, perhaps in her family? So many questions and so few answers. He'd have to find do a test, but that was a plan to create for another day. Caleb was brought back to reality as the head Chef laid two bowl of stew in front of Caleb and Siesta. "Here, you haven't had breakfast either Siesta, you need to eat. Keep your strength up" the head chef said, pounding his chest with his fist. Caleb chuckled. Why couldn't more people be like this guy? Kind, yet also jokey. The world would be such an easier place if things were like that.

As Caleb tucked into his stew, he was amazed by the flavour. Every ingredient complimented each other perfectly, none over-powered the other. It had been decades since he'd tasted anything this good. If he was going to be getting food like this on a daily basis while he was here at the Academy, then maybe being a familiar wasn't so bad after all. Within minutes, Caleb had finished. "Incredible, best meal I've had in years." He said, feeling content. Siesta had finished as well. "Indeed, you've outdone yourself again Marteau she said, leaning back in her chair slightly. The head chef, Marteau, chuckled. "Hearing the sounds of people enjoying their food… It's what makes being a chef so worthwhile." He grinned. Siesta rose, and took her bowl and Caleb's over to the sink, just as a tray of tea and cakes were being loaded onto a trolley.

"Siesta, you're trolley's ready" called one of the maids. Siesta adjusted her uniform, and went to take the trolley outside, only for Caleb to appear beside her. "Allow me to help, least I can do for such a good meal." Siesta nodded. "I appreciate the help Caleb." And the two headed outside. Marteau watched them depart, and couldn't help but smile. He liked this Caleb guy, a lot. Why couldn't the Nobility be more like him?

Caleb and Siesta handed out tea and cakes to the various nobles sitting in the courtyard; many were shocked to see the human familiar helping the servant, though none questioned it. After a while, they began to run low on cakes. "You wait here, I'll go back and get some more." Caleb said, and walked back into the kitchens. Siesta couldn't help but smile. This man was so kind and caring, yet she couldn't get rid of a sense that he was trying almost too hard… as if trying to cover some past mistake. Her thoughts were stopped when she was approached by a group of Nobles, Guiche at the helm.

"You, maid. Where are the cakes?" Guiche asked, no respect what-so-ever. Siesta bowed. "Apologies my lord, we're just getting some more. They have been very popular today and…" Siesta never got to finish her sentence before one of the nobles interrupted her. "No excuse, a commoner's job is to ensure that they are always prepared to serve their betters." The Noble practically yelled at her, drawing a few people's gaze. Siesta bit her lip, but again bowed her head. "I can only apologies. As soon as Caleb returns with more cakes, we shall bring them over to you." She said. The Noble grunted, and the group walked off and sat down just a few paces away. Siesta lowered her head, and wanted to cry. However, when she looked down, she saw a bottle of perfume on the ground. Picking it up, she recognised it as one of the students. She had seen a girl with curly blond hair give it to Guiche a few days ago. It must have fallen out of his pocket as he turned away. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the group of Nobles, who were now discussing what girls they had their eyes on.

"So, Guiche! Who're you going out with now?" The Noble who had yelled at Siesta asked, taking no notice of the approaching servant "Who's your lover, Guiche?" Asked another, also ignoring Siesta as she approached "'Go out?' I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many, isn't that so?" Guiche replied, waving his rose wand around flamboyantly.

"Excuse me, my Lord, but I believe you dropped this." Siesta said, standing behind the group. Everyone looked at her through eyes of hatred, but Guiche refused to turn around. Siesta's patience was reaching its limit. "My lord, this fell out of your pocket." She said, placing the bottle right in front of where he was sitting. Back at the kitchens, Caleb was watching with interest. His sharp hearing had allowed him to hear everything that was going on, and he was far from happy. He was denting the tray that held the cakes as he clenched his fists tightly, but was holding himself back. He wanted to see how things panned out.

As the other Nobles looked at the perfume bottle, along came Katie, the first year that Guiche had been dating last night, holding the soufflé nervously in her hands. None of them noticed her approach, but Siesta walked away, she knew what was likely to follow, and wanted to get clear of the firing line "Hey, that bottle looks like one of Montmorency's" One of the nobles stated as he studied it closely "Yeah! That vivid purple colour is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself, or others she holds in high regards, she keeps it well locked, so does that mean you're going out with her Guiche?" Another asked

Guiche laughed. "Yes it is, that girl is one this rose will soon be spreading its pollen too, along with many others…" "Guiche…" Guiche's laughing stopped suddenly when he heard the sweet voice of Katie. The colour left his cheeks as he turned around. "So… does this mean you don't love me?" Katie asked "Was I just another conquest for your "Rose"" Tears forming in her eyes. Guiche desperately tried to defuse the situation.

As Siesta walked away, she bumped into Montmorency. "Apologies my lady." Siesta said, before realising who it was. A grin crossed her face as an idea came to her. She hated men who viewed women as objects, and Guiche was top of that list at the Academy, taking him down a bit would be easier with how things were setting themselves up. "Ahh, My Lady Montmorency, would you be looking for Lord Guiche?" she asked, an innocent smile on her face. Montmorency nodded. "Yes, have you seen him?" she asked. Siesta nodded. "Yes, he is just over there" Siesta pointed. Montmorency could see him with his arm around a first year. Gritting her teeth, she stormed over, while Siesta couldn't help but giggle while inside the Kitchen's, neither could Caleb. This girl was good… very good.

Montmorency stormed over, and began shouting at Guiche, along with Katie. Siesta got back to her feet just as a resounding *SLAP* erupted across the courtyard. Siesta looked up to see Guiche had been slapped across the right side of his face, and had soufflé dripping off his head. She barely managed to supress her laughter, though many of the other Nobles couldn't help but laugh at Guiche's expense. Both Katie and Montmorency had stormed off in opposite directions, neither stopping to look back at Guiche

"You got dumped big time Guiche!" roared one as he struggled for breath. Guiche was fuming; he had gone from idol to a laughing stock, and it was all the fault of that one maid. He would have her sacked for this… no… he needed to make an example of her first… to try and regain his image. Inside, Caleb could see where this was going, and he hurried back outside.

"You there, Maid!" he called out, as he stormed over. Siesta turned around just in time to get a slap across the face that knocked her to the ground. She lay there, in shock. Many of the Nobles were stunned. They'd never seen Guiche so angry, and never expect him to be the type of person who would lash out, especially against a woman. "Because of you, the honour of two women has been tarnished, as well as my own. How will you undo this mistake of yours?"

Siesta could taste blood in her mouth, but she did not say anything for a few moments. "…fault…" she muttered, as she got back to her feet. "What was that?" One of the Nobles with Guiche asked. "We couldn't hear you peasant." Siesta got back to her feet, blood dripping down her lip. "It was your fault... You two timed and got caught. Not mine." Siesta muttered. With that, Guiche cracked. "I'll teach you to respect your betters!" he yelled, and raised him arm to slap her again, but found his arm stopped as he went to swing. Looking around, he saw Caleb had grabbed his arm, and his face was far from being happy. With one quick move, Caleb spun around and sent Guiche flying into the dirt, and kicked the other noble who had threatened Siesta earlier square in the stomach, sending him into the wall a few feet away. The others backed away quickly.

"What type of man raises his hand to a woman?" Caleb roared, as he walked towards Guiche. Guiche picked himself up; he hadn't even noticed Caleb until he grabbed hold of his arm. "What's it to you commoner. Nobles are higher ranked than you, so why don't you go crawl around in the dirt with that whore? You might as well, when I'm done with her; I'm making sure she gets fired!" Guiche replied. Caleb wanted punch Guiche so hard he'd miss the next life but found himself stopped by Siesta. "Don't… he's not worth it." She muttered, her spirit seemed broken as the penny had dropped that she would probably lose her job over this. Caleb ran a gentle hand across her face. "Don't worry, men like him are all bark and no bite, I'll end this quickly." he said, his rage gone for the moment. Several female students ran over and stood beside Siesta. "Commoner or not, Guiche, you've gone far too far." One of them said, as another helped Siesta back to her feet. "To think you were really like this. You're lower than dirt Guiche!" another yelled, as more students joined group looking to protect Siesta.

Caleb mentally grinned, Guiche had just made himself public enemy number one here at the Academy, which meant now things could really get interesting. "How about we settle this between us Guiche?" Caleb called out. Guiche smirked. "Are you challenging me to a duel Commoner?" he asked. Caleb nodded. "Name the time and place, I'll teach you a lesson in respect." Caleb replied, clicking his neck. Guiche grinned, he had a chance to show the students that he was worthy of his family name, and take an arrogant commoner down in the process. "Very well, Vestri Court, in ten minutes. We'll settle this there." Guiche replied.

"Guiche, you know full well that duels are forbidden" One of the students called out. Guiche smirked "only between Nobles. Familiars and commoners don't count" he replied. Caleb laughed. "Good answer, but why wait ten minutes? Let's settle this right now. Lead the way" he said, and followed Guiche. Several students went to take Siesta back into the kitchen, but she insisted that she would stay and watch the duel. She wanted to see just what Caleb could do.

In the headmaster's office, Old Osmand could hear the crowds gathering, and knew something was up. He'd had his head in the papers that Professor Colbert had asked him to look at all morning, and found it hard to believe what he was seeing. "Could this boy be one of those familiars… and did that make Louise a void mage?" he wondered as he puffed on his pipe. His train of thought was interrupted as Professor Colbert rushed in. "Forgive me headmaster, but we've got a problem." He said, panic written across his face.

Old Osmand sat back a little. "What's going on?" he asked. Professor Colbert paled. "A duel between Guiche de Gramont and Caleb Redspell, the familiar that Louise summoned." Old Osmond groaned. Guiche's father had earned a reputation of being hot headed and a skirt chaser. He always suspected that the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree when it came to his third son, especially when it came to the skirt chasing. He often heard how he was seen with many of the different female students, regardless of their age.

"Headmaster, we need to stop this duel" Professor Colbert said. He was afraid of just what Caleb might be capable of. He got the feeling that the boy housed more combat experience and power than anyone here. Old Osmand shook his head. "No, find out why this duel is taking place, but do not interfere unless either one of them is in direct danger. If your theory about Miss Vallière's familiar is correct, then this is a good time to prove it." He said simply. "And Guiche might just learn a thing or two here as well." He mentally added.

Outside, a large crowd had gathered at Vestri Court. A betting pool had been started by some of the kids, and many who had not witnessed what happened were surprised to find out that Caleb was considered the favourite, though only just. Guiche stood, looking proud as always, while Caleb looked cool and calm as he removed his cloak and threw it to the ground a few feet away. A few grasps erupted when the students saw the Silver band, and a few whispers followed, but Caleb paid them no attention. His focus was on Guiche

"I applaud you for not running commoner." Guiche said arrogantly as he waved his rose wand around.

Caleb laughed darkly. "Why should I need to run from a man like you Guiche?" Guiche frowned. "Don't underestimate me, commoner." Caleb shook his head. "Rule number one Guiche, never under-estimate your opponent." Caleb Replied. "Anyway, if I win this duel, I want you to bow your head and apologies to Siesta, and to every woman you've been seeing." Guiche laughed. "If those are your terms, but if I win, I want you and that maid out of the Academy within the day, along with your failure of a master. I also want you to hand me that silver band." Caleb laughed. "Very well, now let's get started."

On the side-lines, Tabitha and Kirche looked on. Kirche was a little surprised that Tabitha was actually watching, heck, she'd even stopped reading her new book to watch the fight, something that almost never happened. "So… who do you think is going to win?" Kirche asked. "Caleb" Tabitha said simply. Kirche looked at her. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "Experience" Tabitha replied simply. She could tell Caleb was not a man to be underestimated. At most, he was toying with Guiche. Siesta was standing close by them, holding her hands in prayer that things would work out

Guiche waved his wand, and summoned a Bronze Valkyrie. "My Name is Guiche da Gramont, also known as Guiche the Bronze, so this Bronze Valkyrie shall be your opponent." Guiche said. Caleb whistled. "Pretty impressive, and seeing as you've given me you're mage name, I guess it'd be only fair that I give you mine." Caleb said, bowing. "Caleb Redspell. Also known, as The Undying Mage" A stunned silence covered the court, only to be broken as Guiche roared with laughter.

"The Undying Mage? Well, we'll have to put that name to the test won't we commoner?" He roared as he regained his composure. Caleb merely raised his hand towards the sky. "Believe me or not, the choice is yours." He said, as he began chanting.

_"I summon the spirits of thirteen Valkyries_

_The Sword-wielding Sisters of Battle_

_Appear by my side in my time of need_

_And make my foe pay for all his greed!"_

A bright flash appeared around Caleb, and there appeared thirteen spectral forms, taking the shape of what looked to be Angels wearing armour. Each of them carried a sword and shield, with their focus on Guiche and his Bronze Valkyrie as they hovered around Caleb, who lowered his hand towards his side. A stunned gasp erupted from the crowd, while Siesta was questioning what she'd seen. She'd heard rumours that the man who had been summoned was a mage, but she never expected it to be true. Guiche felt his confidence waver slightly as he gazed upon what his opponent had summoned. "Last chance Guiche" Caleb called out. "We can call it quits if you'd like, but I still expect you to lower your head and apologise." He could see Guiche tense up. "Never!" Guiche yelled, summoning more Bronze Valkyries. In all, he managed to get another twelve on the field. "Thirteen vs thirteen... Let's see who's Valkyries are stronger commoner!" Guiche yelled, pointing his rose shaped wand at Caleb. His bronze Valkyries charged forward. Caleb pointed a finger at Guiche and his Valkyries rushed to meet them. Anyone who was expecting a close battle between the two groups was sadly mistaken. The Bronze Valkyries were shredded and destroyed almost instantly as the spirit Valkyries glided through them effortlessly. Guiche didn't even realise he'd lost until all thirteen spirit Valkyries were pointing their swords at his face. Guiche backed up and fell to the floor. "I…I yield." He muttered. Caleb nodded, and waved his hand. The thirteen spirit Valkyries disappeared, and a cheer erupted. Caleb stared at Guiche, before turning and walking back to Siesta.

Guiche stared up at Caleb with eyes burning with hatred. "No… No way am I going to accept defeat to a commoner. I won't bow my head to you!" he screamed mentally as he summoned another Bronze Valkyrie, which immediately charged at Caleb. "Look out!" screamed Siesta and several of the students. Caleb spun around quickly, and raised his hand to intercept the Valkyrie's blade. The blade pierced his hand, with the tip just emerging on the other side. Caleb had had enough. Pulling his pierced hand back, he forced the Valkyrie off its feet, before shattering it with a punch from his free hand. Guiche stared in disbelief. "Seems you haven't learnt you're lesson Guiche." Caleb said, removing the blade that was embedded in his hand. Guiche and the other students watched with both awe and terror as the wound immediately closed up, leaving no trace that it had ever been there save the blood that ran down Caleb's arm, and covered his skin and the sword.

"I told you, I was called the Undying Mage Guiche." Caleb said, as he threw the blade to the floor. Caleb slowly walked towards Guiche, who tried to crawl away, but only managed to back himself up into a corner against the wall of the Academy. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry! I'll apologise!" he screamed. Caleb grabbed Guiche by the head, and held him in the air. "If you ever pull something like this again Guiche, I'll leave you in a state worse than death, got it?" Caleb threatened menacingly. Guiche nodded, and Caleb released him, leaving Guiche to fall to the floor, gasping for air. Caleb then walked back over to Siesta, picking up his cloak from the ground and throwing it back over his shoulders. The students all cheered as he approached, and Siesta ran hugged him tightly, giving him a peck a cheek. "Thank you Caleb." She said, barely holding back tears of joy.

Old Osmand, who had been joined by Miss Longueville, had watched the scene from his window with great interest. He'd never seen a magic like what Caleb had used before. There was definitely more to him than met the eye… and the runes… Old Osman looked at Miss Longueville "Miss Longueville, please escort those two to my office. Also, please send Professor Colbert back here. We need to talk with this familiar, and find out just what caused that duel." Miss Longueville nodded and left the room. Old Osmand continued to look out of the window for a few moments, before re-taking his seat. "Could he really be the one…" he muttered to himself


End file.
